Ensignificant
by EnsignPotts
Summary: An Ensign Ro/OC Femslash - Can a lonely Ensign melt the Bajoran's icy heart? Rated M for later chapters. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers:**

**I do not own ST: TNG or any affiliated characters/copyrights.**

**I _do _own Ensign T'Sant, please don't borrow her without permission or information.**

**This fanfiction depicts a sexual relationship between two women, if this is offensive to you, please refrain from reading my material.**

**This fanfiction is for me to practice writing loving, intimate scenes between women for my personal work, however I have done the best of my ability to maintain the integrity of Canon Characters and bring you only the highest quality in OC's. Enjoy!**

Ch 1: Hot Soup and Grey's Anatomy

"Ensign T'sant stared at a data pad in her hand, cup of hot soup in the other as she moved through the crowded hall of Ten Forward. The Vulcan glanced furtively up occasionally to avoid collisions, unable to fully tear her attention from the surgical schematic. She slowed to a stop in the center of the aisle, absorbed. A loud cough startled the medical officer, causing her to step forward, slamming solidly into a passerby.

The cup of soup flew from her hand, splattering over the front of the woman she had bumped into. The hall quieted as Ensign Ro Laren wiped the fluid from her face, eyes dark and angry. T'Sant inhaled sharply, waiting for a reaction. Though the Bajoran was new to the Enterprise, she had already cultivated a reputation for a short, lashing temper.

"Are you blind?" Ro simply stared at the Vulcan, arms still raised in surprise. T'Sant felt the tips of her ears grow hot; everyone was watching.

"I apologize profusely. I become rather focused on my studies and lose track of my surroundings. It was not my intention to assault you, are you injured?" She swallowed hard, intimidated by the younger woman. The Bajoran rolled her eyes, accepting a towel offered by Guinan. The Listener offered the Vulcan a sympathetic smile before ushering away the onlookers."I am sorry if this encounter causes you difficulties in your attempts to acclimate..." T'Sant was cut short by a deadly glare.

"My attempts to what?"

"I merely surmised that this situation may have been embarrassing for you...I would understand a desire to 'save face' in front of the other crew members..."The Bajoran's temper flared,"Why exactly would I want to do that?" T'Sant fought the blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Given your status as a former Federation captive..." Ro balled her fists, standing rigid. Guinan, sensing the discord stepped between the two women, placing a firm hand on Ro's shoulder.

"I think it best if you go..." she offered a pleading look to the Vulcan, who hung her head sheepishly before turning on her heel, leaving the cafeteria. When she had gone, Ro sunk into a chair her hands shaking with anger. Guinan sat across from her, waiting for the recalcitrant woman to unfurl.

"She had no right to bring that up..." she grumbled, picking at a nail. Guinan smiled softly.

"T'sant means well."

"She can mean well far away from me." Guinan placed a warm hand on the Bajoran's, tapping her lightly.

"Give her a chance. She might understand you better than you'd think." Confusion crossed Ro Laren's face.

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to know more, ask emher/em about it." The Listener stood and departed, leaving the woman to stew in her confliction.

T'Sant spent her duty shift distracted. She fumbled with the tricorder Dr. Crusher handed her after scanning a feverish young boy. The device clattered to the ground. She scooped it up quickly, avoiding the doctor's concerned glance. After she administered a hypospray to the boy's neck, the redhead pulled her assistant aside.

"Is everything alright Ensign? You seem distracted..." T'Sant looked at a point on the wall beyond Beverly.

"I had an unfortunate encounter with Ensign Ro this afternoon, I suspect she is still angry with me and I cannot help feeling worried she may act in retaliation." Dr. Crusher's eyebrows knitted together,"What happened?"

"I bumped into her and spilled my food all over her uniform." Her tone was matter of fact and dry. Beverly suppressed a giggle.

"I wouldn't worry too much. It was an accident."

"In my attempt to ensure she would not be damaged socially by the event, I may have 'salted the wound.'" She looked the doctor in the face, prominent brows furrowed.

"How?"

"I made the mistake of mentioning her past incarceration. I had not meant it as an insult but judging by her reaction, she perceived it as such." Beverly pressed a palm to her forehead. "Give her some time to cool off...then go apologize. I need you at your peak with this flu going around." She pressed the tricorder firmly into the Vulcan's hand. "Now take that data and find a treatment regimen." T'sant nodded sharply and hurried away to finish her work.

T'Sant sat upon her bed, hands resting in her lap, eyes closed. She took several deep breaths, willing away her frustration, her shame, her awkwardness and cheek. She could feel the blush receding from her face, thoughts of Ensign Ro pushed to the rear of her mind.

Tension melted from her neck as she relaxed into the posture, her muscles loosening. A sharp knock at the door snapped her body into painful awareness. She hissed, rubbing her legs before throwing a grey sweater over her tanktop. She limped to the door, wincing as she keyed to open it.

"T'Sant blanched at the visitor. Ro Laren looked down at the Vulcan, her demeanor severe and rigid.

"Can I assist you, Ensign Ro?" Her mouth was dry and sticky.

"Guinan suggested I hear out your apology...so here I am." A cursory look over the Vulcan wearing a soft loose sweater and skin tight shorts caused the Bajoran to raise an eyebrow. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, come in." T'Sant stepped aside to allow the woman access to her quarters. Ro did not move, smoothing the creases from her uniform with flat hands.

"I would prefer to accept your apology from here. There is no need for me to enter your room." T'Sant frowned and returned to her door frame.

"I am sorry if my mention of your past transgressions caused you to feel alienated. I should have realized the issue is a sensitive one for you." The Vulcan kept her eyes on the Bajoran's shiny shoes. An uncomfortable silence crept between them before T'Sant chanced a glance upward. Ro Laren stared down at her, arms crossed, face screwed in irritation.

"And?"

"I am sorry I splashed you with hot soup. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." The Bajoran did not give her time to answer before turning on her heel and striding away.

Ro stepped delicately into sickbay, cradling her right arm close to her chest. A group of crewmen stood in a circle around a young engineer whose arm appeared to be dislocated. A moment passed before a familiar voice addressed her.

"How may I assist you Ensign Ro? T'Sant looked up at her over a PADD. Ro glanced at the group before giving the Vulcan a scrutinizing look.

"They were here first, I will wait."

"I do not have the skill to aid Crewman Allen, I will assist you." Ro thought she heard a tinge of sadness in the woman's tone. She showed her the laceration on her arm

"I broke a vase..." T'Sant remained silent, retrieving a dermal regenerator and hypospray. She worked efficiently and quickly, not meeting the Bajoran's eyes. Ro took the opportunity to study the Vulcan. T'Sant was small, her body thin and birdlike. Her face was lineless, masking her 34 years well. Eyes as dark as her hair glittered under slightly protruding winged eyebrows. The Starfleet uniform clung tightly to well muscled limbs. Unbidden the memory of the Vulcan's legs in black shorts swam to the front of Ro's mind; she blushed lightly, shaking her head. The Vulcan cleared her for duty, giving her a sharp nod before disappearing to assist Nurse Ogawa.

Ro sat for a moment itching the spot where new skin covered her arm, watching the crewman with the dislocated shoulder as Dr. Crusher flitted around him, her face unusually stern. She gave him a sharp shove, resetting the limb in the socket. Ro winced in sympathy. The red haired doctor said something inaudible to the crewman, who nodded sheepishly, shame-faced. He rose to leave and curiosity got the better of her, she got up to follow. Ro took several long steps before she caught up to him putting a hand on his uninjured shoulder. He spun, startled.

"Oh, hello Ensign. Can I help you?"

"I noticed Dr. Crusher being rough with you, I was curious to the origin of your injury?"

"Oh..." he shrugged, "I fell from a ladder in engineering, nothing a little painkiller and rest can't cure."

"That doesn't warrant the senior medical officer's attention. The nurse or Ensign T'Sant could have repaired you up faster." The crewman betrayed the barest of sneers at the mention of the Vulcan, confirming her suspicions that Beverly had been terse with him because of the assistant.

"I just don't trust her...the Romulan." Ro narrowed her eyes, confused. He rambled on, a fervor touching his eyes. "How am I supposed to let her examine me when she could be sending all the data back to Romulan High Command? I don't know why they'd allow a former prisoner work on the most advanced ship in Starfleet..." His voice trailed off as he remembered who he was talking to. The information shocked her more than the insult, ignoring his faux pas in exchange for the barest sympathy for T'Sant.

"Dr. Crusher told me I'm not allowed to ask for any specific medical personnel because it shouldn't matter who saves my life come crunch time."

"Dr. Crusher is a smart woman, I'll ask you to refrain from insulting Ensign T'Sant behind her back further, the captain would not like to hear of it.I do not believe that Romulan Command is interested in the doings of clumsy engineers." She fixed him with a glare that set his insides running. He gave her a curt nod before scurrying away, leaving the Bajoran feeling guilty. The afternoon left Ro pacing in her quarters, avoiding a decision. She had been at it for hours, weighing the pros and cons of addressing the medical officer. She wanted to confront her about the things Crewman Allen had said, certain he was mistaken about her species. Her conscience nagged her, reminding her that she had overreacted at the minor accident...she should apologize. She growled in frustration, eyes flicking up at the clock: 1800 hours.

"Computer, locate Ensign T'Sant."

"Ensign T'Sant is in Ten Forward." Perfect.

The cafeteria was crowded, bustling with activity. Ro drew her lips thin, her eyes scanning the room for the Vulcan. A first pass rewarded her with nothing, she frowned. She slowed her search, finally spotting the woman sitting in the corner, back to the chattering groups of people. A small pang of guilt struck her gut as she noticed T'Sant was alone. Ro approached the table, pausing. She peered over the woman's shoulder at the massive book laid open before her. The pages were filled with diagrams of human muscular systems and organs. Despite the graphic nature of the images, T'Sant munched happily on a salad, her attention fixated on the book.

"Interesting choice of literature." Ro took a small amount of pleasure at the woman's squeak of surprise. She offered T'Sant a weak smile, taking the seat across from her. She noticed the tips of her pointed ears turn pink and Ro found it somehow endearing.

"Hello..." the Vulcan whispered closing the book with small hand. She seemed guarded and Ro couldn't blame her. She saw the faded print on the book spine - Grey's Anatomy. "Can I help you ensign? Did I fail to properly convalesce your injury?"

"No it's fine, much better thank you. I must admit...I am curious."

T'Sant mumbled into her salad, "About what?"

"Why a Vulcan might lie to me." T'Sant's face paled, eyes wide. She looked away, staying quiet. Ro fixed her with a serious look, disappointed. "Why did you tell me you couldn't fix that crewman's shoulder. It seems almost detrimental for a medical officer to be untruthful about their abilities. Or Starfleet is remiss in their choice of personnel." The insinuation did not phase the woman.

"I apologize for the deception...I did not wish for you to have a reason to distrust me. That line of reasoning is flawed to me now." T'Sant kept her eyes on her salad, yet her face was somehow transparent.

"So it is true? You're Romulan?" T'Sant hesitated before nodding, her jet black hair dancing across her forehead. Ro noticed the untidy bangs, how they were subtly uneven and choppy. She suppressed the urge to smooth them, irked by the messiness.

"Only half. My mother was Vulcan." T'Sant exhaled heavily, pushing her salad away and crossing her arms on the table. "I'm certain you've heard the rest of it so if you'll excuse me." The small hybrid pulled the book to her again, finding her place. Ro reached out and shut the book with a snap.

"I haven't. I don't care for gossip. I came to apologize for behaving rudely to you before. I can be...abrasive." Before T'Sant could respond, her combadge chirped. Beverly required her assistance in sick bay. She hurried away without saying anything more.

Ro glanced down at the table, noticing the medical officer had left her gruesome book behind. She rolled her eyes, picking it up gingerly as if it were contaminated. The book was well worn, pages dog-eared and some falling loose in the binding. Ro sighed heavily, her face creasing in irritation. She had not wanted to converse with the woman again. She was not willing to share her sympathy, indulging in her ideas that she was better off alone. Ro Laren would be her own friend and that was enough.

End Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2: Things Look Different When You're Sick

Ensign T'Sant drummed her fingers on her desktop, eyes flitting from PADD to PADD unable to decide which task to handle next. She massaged her temples, closing her eyes. A loud thump on her desk startled her. A worn ratty copy of Grey's Anatomy lay before her. She glanced up and caught the retreating angular form of Ro Laren exiting the small office quickly. T'Sant jumped to her feet, chasing after the leggy Bajoran.

"Wait!" Ro stopped abruptly and the smaller woman, walking too fast, collided with her and fell to the ground. Ro turned and rolled her eyes seeing the untidy head shaking as T'sant righted herself and regained her feet.

"Must you accost me every time we meet?"

"I apologize, I merely wished to thank you for returning my book. I had trouble sleeping without it and I feared someone might have seen the state of it and discarded it." Ro crossed her arms and shot her a wilting glance.

"You should have replicated a new one years ago. I did not return it to assuage your sleeping habits." T'sant went rigid at the other woman's tone, her own voice losing the tinge of friendliness.

"I merely wished to convey my gratitude."

"If I find it again I will dispose of it. You should be more responsible with your affects."  
>T'Sant flushed, permitting herself the indignation. She hardened her gaze, rivaling that of the woman before her.<p>

"Duly noted." She bit back a rush of anger, her Vulcan sensibilities locking over Romulan impulses, slowly regaining control. Something about the Bajoran fanned her, ignited uncontrolled yet oddly natural emotional outbursts. She did not like it, it was not logical nor pleasant; neither half approved. Ro left sickbay in a huff and T'sant was glad for her absence. Nurse Ogawa gave her a quick smile before walking over, placing a hand on her shoulder. T'Sant glanced over at her friend, frowning.

"What's got her going now?" It seemed Ro's reputation had stretched to sickbay as well.

"We had an altercation...I apologized and believed that would be the end of it. Several days after that, she came to have a wound repaired and somehow discovered my...unique genetic makeup. She apologized for being rude but it seems I had forgotten my book with her that day." She looked to the head nurse, permitting herself confusion. "It seems she came to return it. I do not understand her..." Ogawa could not help but give the tiny woman a hug. T'Sant froze in her embrace, unwilling to permit comfort. The nurse let go, sensing the tension.  
>"It's alright T'Sant. Ignore her. Would you like to come with me to poker this evening?" T'Sant gave her a full smile, but shook her head to decline.<p>

"You know I am poor at cards and poorer at small talk. Thank you Alyssa, for the offer."

T'sant headed back to her small desk that she shared with the other medical Ensigns, sitting gracefully in the chair. The PADDS still waited. She sighed and pulled the closest one to her and continued to work, her thoughts on the obstinate Bajoran.

Ro Laren rolled on to her side moaning quietly to her stark, austere quarters. She pressed a long hand to her pale side, wincing at the pain, her nose ridges more pronounced. Slowly she sat up, her head and neck throbbing. Ro gritted her teeth and got to her feet, sliding long legs into stiff uniform pants she had replicated and laid out the night before. Weakness shot through her legs and nausea seized her insides.

She wretched, and fell to her knees. A moment passed before she regained her composure, her skin glistening with sweat. Minutes later, she had notified of her illness and limped her way to sickbay. Her head was swimming and her stomach lurched as she entered the room. A nurse ushered her to a biobed where she lay down, closing her eyes against the light. A shadow loomed over her.

"What seems to be the problem Ensign Ro?" T'Sant's voice was cold and distant. Ro did not have the energy for argument.

"I don't feel well..." Her voice was hoarse. She hadn't realized how much her throat hurt until she spoke. The whirring of the tricorder dug into her skull. In the distance she heard the soft sound of someone crying. She tried to sit up to look. T'Sant pushed her gently back to the biobed, administering a hypospray to her neck. Ro winced.

"What's going on?" She suddenly felt overwhelmed with exhaustion. Ro yawned deeply.

"I have administered a sedative until I can determine the cause of your illness."

Ro's eyes fluttered heavily as she mumbled, "Not what I meant..." Sleep claimed the Bajoran.

When she awoke, it was Nurse Ogawa who stood over her, a satisfied look on her face. She realized her throat was much less raw and her head no longer swam with pain. The dainty Asian woman helped her to sit up.  
>"You should thank Ensign T'Sant. She saw the strep patterning in the virus before we did. You'll be right as rain in a few days. Bed rest and fluids until then." She patted the Bajoran on the shoulder and slipped away. Ro sat upon the biobed until the hybrid came into view around the corner.<p>

"Ensign T'Sant." Her voice was sharp and still a bit hoarse. The woman looked up, her face creased with sadness before smoothing into a still mask.

"I am glad to see you are feeling better. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to thank you for your efforts."

"Your condition was not life threatening nor contagious. Thanks is not necessary." Ro's lips twitched involuntarily into a small smile. The gesture was gone before it could grow.

"Who was crying earlier? What happened?"

"There was an accident in engineering, one crewman did not survive." T'Sant's eyes crinkled in mourning once more. Ro found the expression strange.

"Were you close to them?"

"I was not." T'Sant resumed her flat tone, running a tricorder over the Bajoran. "Why?"

"I have never seen a Vulcan show sadness before...I just assumed."

"I am only half-Vulcan. However my propensity to show emotion is not a result of failure to

control my Romulan impulses. In fact it is just the opposite." T'Sant finished her scan.

"Enlighten me."

"This incident is insignificant to me. However, I find humans tend to take comfort in a face that reflects their mourning. I permit myself to grieve if only for the benefit of my patient's family in a time of loss. I am well rehearsed on all Federation species death rituals and many non-Federation as well." Ro idly noticed the woman's slight mispronunciation of the word human - 'hew-mon.' "I find, as a doctor, it is proper for me to be sympathetic to a grieving family."

"You cry with them?"

"I do not."

"You just said..."

"I have shed tears only twice in my lifetime. This death is not enough to purge my Vulcan training."

"What happened? To make you cry?" Ro blurted out the questions before thinking, her brain still fuzzy with medication.

"That is a story for another time. I must assist Dr. Crusher with the funeral preperations. If you wish to hear it..." T'sant hesitated, biting her lip thoughtfully. "Come to my quarters for tea. Around 20:00." Ro contemplated declining immediately before she noticed she was sitting alone. She muttered under her breath, curiosity overriding her want to keep to herself. She glanced up and saw Nurse Ogawa watching her, a bright smile on her face.

"You should go," she said softly. Ro stiffened, irked they had been overheard.

"It is my choice how to spend my free time," she answered bitterly. Ogawa shrugged.

"Of course it is."

Ro stood outside the door to T'Sant's quarters, unmoving, hand partially lifted to knock. She was glad for the empty corridor; she must look absurd. Indecision kept her immobile. If she did not knock, if she walked away, the hybrid would move on and make other friends. If she did knock...  
>Knocking meant lowering a wall. Knocking meant allowing herself to be approached. Knocking meant change, something the Bajoran thought she could do without. She breathed deeply once, then twice before rapping her knuckles hard on the door.<p>

A few moments passed before the small woman answered the door, dressed comfortably in dark slacks and a colorful shirt made all the more vibrant by her bronze skin, black hair and eyes. Ro stared for a moment, surprised by her choice of attire, feeling a bit conscious of her own muted grey trousers and black long sleeved shirt. She noticed the woman was barefoot, admiring her elegant feet. T'Sant gave her a warm smile before stepping aside, allowing Ro access to her domicile.

"I apologize about the clutter, I did not have as much time to tidy as I had anticipated." Ro looked around the cozy room; there was little furniture, a short couch, a small chair and table. What surprised Ro the most was that everywhere there were piles of neatly folded and sorted clothes. Each stack was tidy and coordinated with the stacks around it.

T'Sant shifted two small stacks of scarves to make a seat for her guest. Ro kept her comments to herself, certain there was a story behind the enormous wardrobe. The little hybrid disappeared to retrieve the tea, offering Ro a large red mug when she returned. The Bajoran took the hot cup gingerly, blowing to cool the liquid. A few moments passed before either of them spoke.

"You wanted to tell me something?" Ro sipped gently from her cup, happy the tea helped soothe her throat. T'Sant moved closer, perching upon the arm of the couch, chin resting in her hand.

"I am not sure where to begin." The woman's eyes glazed over, searching for a memory. Ro leaned back against the plush couch, trying to get comfortable.

"I've always found the beginning is a good place to start." Ro felt comfortable enough to joke. T'Sant smiled, closing her eyes as if savoring the action like a fine wine. Ro felt certain the woman had almost laughed but thought better of it.

"You wished to know of the times I wept..." T'Sant looked into her teacup. Ro nodded quietly, the room suddenly taking a somber tone. "I suppose the beginning is the best place to start."

End Ch 2.

**A/N Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, I really wanted to move on with this part of the fic but I didn't wanna drag this part out any longer. The next chapter will be nice and juicy long I assure you. Promise the steamy stuff will start happening soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3: A Merchant's Wife

"I must inform you that during each of these moments, my Romulan heritage was unknown to me. This made my experiences with emotions much more meaningful. These two moments have defined how I engage my impulses and apply my reasoning. I do not expect you to understand." Ro remained quiet, sipping once more at her tea, eyebrow lifted in interest. T'Sant exhaled deeply before beginning.

"My mother was a Vulcan nurse assigned to the starship, U.S.S. Ibiza. My father was a Romulan ship captain who attacked and seized the Ibiza just outside of Vulcan space. The nature of my conception was not pleasant for my mother...nor for the other female crew members on board." Ro winced, unwilling to imagine what had happened in any detail. The tea calmed her normally abrupt demeanor, she found herself relaxing.

"After she was debriefed, my mother resigned from Starfleet. She moved to an isolated Vulcan colony to raise her baby. She never told me about my father and I was not permitted to ask." A pang of sorrow gripped Ro's heart; she had thought her own father had been weak, but at least she had known him and understood he loved her.

"I had no relatives on the colony, my mother's sense of shame drove her from her home and settled us far from any who might remind her, anyone who might inquire where she had come by a daughter. It is the only emotion I believe my mother to have allowed herself."

"I thought Vulcans did not have emotions..." Ro betrayed her ignorance. She had not served with many Vulcans and had even less experience with Romulans. T'Sant's shoulder slumped, ready to provide the canned Vulcan response.

"Vulcans are as emotive and capable of feeling as any other species. It is their embrace of logic over impulse and the intense suppression training received in childhood that create the facade you perceive as 'emotionless.'"

"Their? You exclude yourself?" Ro inquired, unconsciously leaning forward. T'Sant nodded, pressing the cup to her lips.

"I have said before I am not fully Vulcan. I once identified that way but I could no sooner call myself a Vulcan than you could call yourself Cardassian, simply because they had a hand in shaping our childhood." The comparison had the desired effect as the ridges upon the Bajoran's nose deepened in anger. She did not have time to retort, T'Sant had moved on. Ro forced herself to relax, it was no secret she had grown up on Bajora.

"I watched as the other children enrolled in the academy. It was my wish to go with them but my mother would not allow it, the stars were not safe. I aided her in her small clinic; we provided minimal services, mostly cuts and infections or diseases." T'Sant paused, her face crinkling in sadness. Still it seemed to Ro that the strange woman took pleasure in the emotion despite its unpleasantness.

"My mother died when I was sixteen, struck in the temple when she fell down the stairs. I found her first. This would be the first moment I could not fully control myself. I wept, I screamed and I raged." The woman's eyes were glassy, even now after so many years. Ro set her empty cup aside, interlacing her hands over one knee crossed upon the other.

"I made the others uncomfortable. I had always had difficulty with meditation and suppression. I had to be restrained until I could calm myself. They did not allow me to continue my mother's practice. Instead they gave me the stars."

"They sent you to Starfleet."

"Yes, along with ten other young ones and an elderly caretaker to see us safely to the Academy." T'Sant rose, retrieving the cups and turning to get more.

"What happened then?" Ro craned her head to try and see her hostess. T'Sant returned, passing the cup to Ro once again. She regained her seat upon the couch, bare toes curling into space between the cushion and the couch arm.

"It was then that I met Huyo."

T'sant let herself enjoy the look of puzzlement on Ro Laren's face. She had never told this part of the story to anyone.

"I must inform you that every sentence I speak is in fact the truth. I wish to be your friend Ro Laren. It is important to me. I do not have many and I suspect you do not either." Ro clenched her jaw and looked away, crossing her arms. A muscle twitched in her cheek. T'Sant leaned forward, idly scratching her neck.

"What was I saying?" She plied, baiting Ro's curiosity. Ro cast her gaze back toward the woman but did not turn her head or uncross her arms. Her lips formed a bitter pout.

"Huyo."

A wide smile split T'Sant's face at her victory, however small. She stretched, throwing her arms back. Ro noticed the hem of her shirt lift ever so slightly to expose the strong lean stomach beneath. She kept her head turned until the woman was ready to speak again.

"Huyo was a Farengi merchant who traded with our colony. He wasn't pleasant nor wealthy. He lusted after our shuttles, wanting to extend his reach beyond our small system but he was refused. He tried many times, many ways but he had nothing we could not live without. He was not important to the Farengi, he was not a profitable merchant. He grew irritable and removed his store front from the colony and we did not see him for several years.

"The day I departed, Huyo attacked the shuttle that carried me and the others. He determined that a crew of one elderly woman and eleven children would pose him no threat." Ro found her attention captured again, concern for the children pulling her back into the strange story.

"He demanded we relinquish the shuttle, stated that he would simply kill us all and take it if we did not. Our caretaker had been knocked out in the firefight, the Farengi addressed me as I was the oldest. I asked for time to think, to develop a solution that would benefit both parties." T'Sant gave the Bajoran a meaningful glance, taunting.

"Can you guess what my solution was?" Ro shook her head sharply; she was infuriating.

"I became his wife."

Ro Laren got to her feet, a fierce blush touching her cheeks. She had indulged this too long and she would not be made a fool of.

"I've heard enough T'Sant, that is absurd." She blushed harder under the hybrid's gaze; T'Sant looked like the cat who had eaten the canary, her chin resting on her palm.

"I can assure you it is the truth."

"Why would a Farengi wed a Vulcan? The mere suggestion is...insane." Ro took a step towards the door.

"Have you ever met Farengi?"

"Of course, they're on every junk starbase and scumhole in the Alpha Quadrant."

"What is the one thing a Farengi cares about?" Ro turned back to look at T'Sant, who had not moved from her perch.

"Cheating you out of your valuables." Ro was shocked by the delicate, almost musical laugh that came from T'Sant. It was surreal, seeing a stoic Vulcan demeanor dissolve in not only mirth but a wealth of subtle emotions so clearly displayed by the woman's face.

"What a narrow thing to say. A Farengi only cares about profit, no matter the means by which it is attained. The man is measured by the coin in his pocket."

"What does that have to do with you marrying him?"

"To Farengi a woman is property property, the more beautiful and exotic the better. A foreign wife is a high commodity, a boost in status that far outweighed the loss of a shuttle and the lives of ten children to an old poor Farengi. My solution was logical, it benefited both parties."

Ro looked at the ground, her nose burning. She could not help admire the woman's sacrifice. Part of her wished to console the sixteen year old in the story, but part of her was unnerved by the woman she had become. T'Sant was much more than she had expected, her uniqueness intriguing Ro more than she wanted to admit. She returned to the couch and sat, long legs crossed in front of her. She gave T'Sant an apologetic look. Why did she always feel the need to apologize to her? T'sant acknowledged her with a slight nod of her head.

"Please drink your tea, it will help your throat." Ro was touched by her concern.

"I do feel better. Thank you T'Sant."

"I would like to continue. I have never told this part to anyone before." Ro's lips twitched in a smile, her gaze falling on T'Sant's face. She could see why the Farengi would choose her over the shuttle. The woman was stunning, her features severe like a Vulcan but somehow warm. It was a shame that no one took the time to talk to her. She reconsidered her friendship. T'Sant took the expression as permission to move on.

"As soon as we struck our deal, I left the shuttle and watched it disappear. I was instructed to relinquish my possessions, even my clothes. It was difficult for me, I had never been naked in front of anyone before, but I am stubborn. I made a decision and I must accept the consequences. Farengi women are not permitted to wear clothing, I would not be treated any differently."

"Did you ever...were you ever with him?" Ro could not help but ask, knowing T'sant was candid enough to answer.

"No it was not that sort of marriage. He understood what I was worth, especially being so young. I was only required to exist and be his, much like a pet. Our marriage moved him and his young son from the small vulcan colony to a neighboring Farengi settlement. He displayed me frequently to garner attention for his business, I was quite a draw."

"How long were you married to him?" Ro could not imagine living with a Farengi on board let alone as a husband. She blushed at the thought of T'Sant being paraded in the nude, embarrassed for her.

"Eighteen years. After a while I faded into the background. Like all Farengi women, I became nothing." Ro could feel another layer of her defenses peel away. She knew oppression and she knew how it felt to be made powerless. The Cardassians stripped her of her beliefs, her identity as Bajoran. The Cardassians gave her doubt and shame, but this she could not fathom. To live eighteen years as nothing more than a token, an object. Her eyes tingled but she was too proud to cry, especially in front of this woman who was stronger than she would have ever imagined or given credit for. She waited for the woman to continue.

"I used the time to grieve privately for my mother, I learned to meditate properly. I understood what the others had been trying to teach. I determined the cause of my outburst was my youth and the suddenness of my mother's death. I learned control."

"When did you leave him?"

"Huyo left me. He was old when we married, and his health became poor as he grew fat on his new status. His heart failed him and he died, happy in his sleep." Ro half expected this to be the significant moment.

"Ownership of Huyo's belongings transferred to his son, myself included. The young Farengi set me free. His eyes were bright with profits to be made in the field of jewelry and he refused to stand on his father's acquisition, wishing to make his own name. He gave me access to a shuttle and I left the colony."

"Where did you go?"

"I went to the Academy. I had no home to return to and nothing to trade. My arrival caused a bit of a stir." Ro delighted in the smile that touched T'Sant's eyes.

"Do tell."

"I had been living with Farengi for such a long time, it never occurred to me to clothe myself. Needless to say a fully nude Vulcan woman will attract attention, even in the bustle of Academy life." Ro's face tensed, her lips tightening. A loud peal of laughter erupted from her throat; she covered her mouth with her hands, face turning bright red. T'Sant joined in her laughter, finding the Bajoran's dulcet tones infectious. The pair laughed together for a moment longer before T'Sant drained her cup a final time.

"I was stopped by two members of administration, who seemed shocked that I had no clothes or personal items. They took me to a private room and replicated a uniform for me. They left me to dress." T'Sant's voice grew quiet as she looked down at her hands. "I will never forget what the fabric felt like in my hands, the smell of freshly replicated material in my nose. I held them to my face and I could not stop my tears. Happiness and joy overwhelmed me, I was permitted to wear clothes, to own things and do as I wanted. I spent over an hour in that room. I did not care in that moment if I was behaving like a Vulcan. It was as of they had dusted me off and permitted me to exist again. I became myself in that moment. Such as I am."

Ro sat speechless, unsure what to say. A powerful moment had been shared with her, one she did not feel she deserved. She glanced at the clock. Several hours had passed. Ro looked around at the piles of clothes, no longer clutter, now full of meaning. She opened her mouth to speak, but was halted by a bone cracking yawn. T'Sant stood and cleared the cups away before returning to the sleepy woman.

"I have kept you too long." She offered a hand to her, but Ro did not take it. She got slowly to her feet, allowing T'Sant to walk her to the door. She turned to say goodbye when it happened.

Thin arms snaked around the Bajoran's small waist, strong hands pulling her shoulders into a tight embrace. Ro hung her arms limply, unwilling and frankly too surprised to return the hug. Somehow the smaller woman's whisper reached her ear. Ro kept her eyes on the wall behind, ignoring the drop in her stomach.

"Thank you for listening." Ro lifted her arms, preparing to reciprocate. T'Sant pulled away before the Bajoran could put her hands down. The door hissed open. She noticed her hands were shaking. T'Sant had as well, taking one in her own small hand, turning it over to look at the palm. Ro closed her eyes, swallowing hard before T'Sant released her.

"You should go. Rest." A gentle hand on the small of her back guided Ro Laren into the hall. She turned back to look, finally finding her voice.

"Thank you...for sharing with me." She clenched her hands together to stop their shaking, telling herself it was the illness that made her weak and not the woman in front of her.

"Good night, Ro Laren." The door hissed closed between them.

"Goodnight, T'Sant," she whispered though there was no one in the corridor to hear her. She returned to her quarters, slid into her cold bed and stared at the ceiling until sleep claimed her whirling mind.

End Chapter Three

**A/N: I am sorry this chapter is mostly dialogue, I need to practice that too. For those wondering/upset about T'Sant's past with the Farengi, it was heavily inspired by the episode where Deanna and Lwaxanna Troi were captured by that Farengi who wanted exotic creamy smooth wives. Sue me...no don't anyway hope you enjoyed. I set the stage for intimacy, will Ro take the plunge? Who knows? I do...I know. Updates soon. Thanks for reading please comment and review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4: When a Bajoran Loves a Woman

Ro sat quietly in the mostly empty mess hall, wringing her hands, occasionally glancing around the room. She was waiting for Guinan. The Listener was the only person she trusted on the Enterprise...at least with personal things. She didn't see the woman settle into the seat across her; her thoughts elsewhere. Guinan cleared her throat gently, dislodging the Bajoran from her reverie.

"I admit I was surprised when you said you wanted to talk." Guinan laced her fingers around the cup of coffee she had brought with her. She noticed dark circles beneath Ro's eyes and frowned, concerned. "Not sleeping well?"

"I've been having bad dreams. I find myself nervous to sleep." Ro rubbed the bridge of her nose, squinting her eyes shut to fend off her exhaustion. Guinan's face crinkled in sympathy, nudging the coffee cup towards the pale looking woman.

"What are you dreaming about?" Ro paused, her face screwing in discomfort.

"They are of a personal nature..." Guinan passed her a knowing look, affording the reticent officer the courtesy of understanding.

"I can assume I won't get a 'who' out of you..."

"The focal point of these...nightmares is Ensign T'Sant." Ro surprised herself with her willingness to admit the dark haired woman stole into her dreams and claimed her while she slept. A wry grin tweaked the Listener's mouth.

"You talked to her then?" Ro's forehead furrowed in irritation.

"This is not a situation I am taking lightly Guinan." She pushed long fingers into her hair, red headband pulling the skin of her face taught. "I can't stop thinking about her and all she did was hug me."

"Now there's a surprise." Guinan chuckled, patting Ro's arm gently. "So what exactly is the situation?"

"We just talked. She shared some personal memories with me," Guinan couldn't help but notice the corners of Ro's mouth twitch upwards. "Then she hugged me."

"I'm still not sure what the problem is, it sounds like you had a good time. If you like her, go tell her."

"It's not that simple." Ro slumped onto the table, groaning quietly.

"Why not?"

"Because she's..."

"A woman?" The Listener's eyes sparkled mischievously. Ro shook her head. Guinan sighed.

"What's the problem with her then?" Ro did not answer for a moment, her thoughts returning to the medical officer.

There wasn't a single problem with T'sant. She was beautiful and kind, her spirit strong and determined. The problem was Ro Laren. She had been stirred by the simple act the hug had been. She had been made vulnerable by the woman's story, her life, and in a moment Ro's walls were shattered, leaving only her self supported by the woman's strong embrace. For the first time since childhood she felt safe, protected. It frightened her; she could not bring herself to say.

"She's Romulan..." Ro lied, the words tasting sour in her mouth. Her stomach dropped, making her feel sick. Guinan's face tightened in anger.

"I'll have you know she's suffered enough at the hands of Starfleet personnel over something she can't change. The last person she needs that from is someone she trusted enough to talk to. You disrespect Dr. Crusher and diminish T'Sant's ability and achievements to get here."  
>Ro felt every word like a pin in her flesh. She chose to stay the course, growing argumentative.<p>

"What does Dr. Crusher have to do with anything?"

"Beverly Crusher is the sole reason T'Sant isn't in a Federation prison right now." Guinan stood to leave, disappointed in the Bajoran. She knew the younger woman was lying but it was not her place to correct her; she listened, she did not force confessions.

"What do you mean?" Ro felt bad about calling the woman over to talk, then behaving like a child. She grasped the Listener by the wrist to stop her from leaving; Guinan paused, debating.

"T'sant spent 4 months in captivity when she registered for Starfleet Academy. She donated blood to keep on file and because of her ignorance of her father, the Academy believed she was a Romulan spy sent to steal Federation medical advances. Dr. Crusher intervened on her behalf and acquired her a position here when she completed her training. A position she has earned more than once over."

Ro felt a squeeze in her chest, like a fist closing around her heart. This bit of information only served to flame her passion. She wanted to cradle the hybrid in her arms, make her feel welcome, respected and...no, she wouldn't think that. This wasn't that. She released the Listener's hand, returning her fingers to their place in her hair.

"Look, she's let you in this far. Maybe it's time you let her in." Ro did not look at her and Guinan moved away, a knowing smirk, hidden from the Bajoran, played across her face.

When Ro looked up again, her body ran cold. At some point in the last half hour, T'Sant had entered the room and taken up a lively conversation with a busty, golden haired waitress. She watched as the other woman laughed at something, running her fingers through T'Sant's untidy bangs. Ro felt a heat creep into her neck as she observed the pair, unseen. She clenched her jaw at the lingering touch the blonde gave the woman's shoulder.

Once the waitress had walked away, Ro resolved to go talk to T'Sant. Her legs failed her as she watched the woman retrieve her abused copy of Grey's Anatomy, her deft fingers locating her spot, bottom lip trapped between teeth in concentration. Ro released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

She hadn't seen T'Sant in over two weeks. Her memory did not do the woman justice in the light of her newly admitted attraction. She stared, lips slightly parted, admiring the focus in T'Sant's eyes while she read.

Her gaze was intense, magnified by severe arching brows. The small woman brought a thumb to her mouth, nibbling thoughtfully on the tip as she turned the page. Ro found her feet and slowly made her way to the figure that haunted her dreams.

"Interesting reading material." Ro was rewarded with a smile that touched T'Sant's eyes.

"It's quite fascinating. These humans were almost barbaric in their pursuits to discover their physiology." T'sant blushed faintly. "I must admit this material is a guilty pleasure. I treat it like most people do fiction." She closed the book gingerly. Ro sat down across from her, nerves stilling her tongue and shaking her limbs. Strange how a platoon of Cardassians could not make her quake, yet this diminutive woman set her heart racing.

"Are you alright Ro? You look pale." Ro snapped back to attention. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Yes I'm fine, thank you."

"Did you need something?"

"I just...wanted to talk. I haven't seen you much lately." Ro kept her voice level.

"Dr. Crusher has been keeping me very busy with a viral pathogen the science team collected recently." T'Sant's brow furrowed. "I apologize if you have been seeking my company."

"I haven't." Ro spoke too quickly, her tone harsher than intended. T'Sant's face fell before smoothing into Vulcan stoicism.

"Oh..."

"I mean to say I've been busy as well." The smaller woman remained emotionless, lacing her fingers together in front of her.

"Who was that girl just now? The blonde." Ro fought to keep the edge from her voice. T'Sant's cheeks colored darkly; she looked away embarrassed.

"She is just a friend," She mumbled.

"I thought you didn't have many friends." Ro regretted the words as they left her mouth. T'Sant's jaw tightened briefly, betraying her anger.

"I do not. She is one of them."

"I did not mean to upset you...look the real reason I came over is..." Ro faltered.

"Is what?" T'Sant snapped, unafraid to show her anger with Ro.

"Guinan told me about how Dr. Crusher had a hand in releasing you from prison. I hadn't known you were incarcerated and I merely wished to express my sympathy...we have more in common than I thought." Ro blurted out, groaning and laying her head upon the table, a slight knock ringing when her forehead touched the gray plastic surface. Her half answer seemed to appease the younger woman, who relaxed.

"Oh...yes Dr. Crusher is an amazing person. I owe much to her." T'Sant's voice took on a dreamy quality when she spoke of the redhead. A flare of jealousy curled around Ro's stomach but she bit her lip to keep from feeling it. She couldn't stop herself.

"You like her then?"

"Of course, she is intelligent and kind. She is my superior officer. Do you have an issue with Dr. Crusher?"

"No not like that..." Ro blushed. T'Sant looked at her strangely. Ro sighed. "I mean romantically...you are attracted to her?" It was T'Sant's turn to blush.

"Have you been talking to Troi as well?" Ro was shocked by the admission.

"I have not...just there's this sparkle in your eye when you said her name just now."

"Well...yes. There was a period of time where my attraction to Dr. Crusher was quite intense. I spent the better part of a year in counsel with Lt. Commander Troi because it distracted me to the point I could not work in the same room. It is embarrassing for me. I understand now my affection was misplaced gratitude for her saving my life, but the fact remains.

"Have you always been attracted to women?" Ro found her mouth was dry. She knew what she wanted the answer to be. T'Sant nodded.

"There were brief, awkward couplings with men during my time at Starfleet. It was not satisfying. When I received my commission, I realized that I wanted Beverly Crusher to kiss me, to hold me the way those boys had tried. I could not act on these impulses. This was a taxing strain on my body." T'Sant looked away.

"How did you deal with that?" Ro tried to imagine working with and being attracted to Commander Riker. The proximity would be maddening.

"Counselor Troi suggested I find a physical outlet for my sexual frustrations. I am not a physical person. She recommended I find another person to...engage with."

"Did you?" Ro blanched, her insides dropping. T'Sant cast a glance to the busty waitress, who waved girlishly girlishly back at them. Ro narrowed her eyes, nose ridges deepening.

"I did. She and I have an arrangement." T'Sant spoke quickly as if she'd rather not discuss it. Ro indulged her petty self, enjoying seeing the younger woman made as uncomfortable as she was.

"What kind of an arrangement." T'Sant sighed deeply.

"We have a casual sexual relationship set to be terminated upon the event one of us finds someone significant to share our lives with." Ro felt the icy fist around her heart again. If there was anything Ro Laren was not, it was significant.

"That is mature." Ro couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach, her voice very quiet. A silence crept between them.

"Can I get you a drink sweetheart?" The waitress had come over to check on them. Ro barely contained her sneer. She had no right to be jealous but she was all the same. The waitress waited for a reply, snapping a large bubble of gum. The pop grated Ro's ears.

"I'm fine." Ro kept her answer short and sharp. The waitress turned to T'Sant, eyebrows lifted mischieviously. "What about you?"

"Actually I need to talk to you Daisy. Please sit down." T'Sant looked over at Ro, all emotion gone from her face. "Could you please excuse us Ensign Ro." A small part of Ro winced at her formality. She clenched her jaw and nodded, standing quickly and leaving the pair to their conversation.

It was not until she reached her quarters that Ro allowed herself to seethe. She punched the cushion of her couch. She was not mad at T'Sant. Ro Laren felt weak, allowing someone close enough to affect her then falling to pieces when she could not bring herself to share her feelings.

It was wrong of her to assume the woman had no romantic interests, selfish to think she had all the time in the world to come to terms with her desires. She fell backwards onto her mattress, her thoughts centering on the waitress and T'Sant, all of them focused on the sexual nature of their relationship. She felt like she was going mad, her overheated brain replacing the buxom blonde with her own hands, mouth and teeth. Ro asked for the time.

"The time is 00:47."

The computer's mechanical voice calmed her somewhat. Ro Laren stepped into her hydroshower, turning the water to full cold. It was going to be even harder to sleep tonight.

T'Sant bit into the soft flesh of her finger, her head falling back to the pillow gently. Her breath came in deep heaving gasps as she savored the fire that spread across her body from the intensity of her orgasm. A quiet moan escaped her as deft fingers found the engorged ridge of her sex once more. T'Sant ached with need, her thoughts swirling, transforming her own hands into those of Ro Laren. Her chest heaved as she peaked again. T'Sant opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling, sweat beading on her fierce brow. Six. Tsant forced herself to sit up, sliding slick fingers from the waistband of her black shorts. She crossed her legs and assumed her favorite meditative posture. Her duty shift was in three hours and she wanted to be clear headed.

The first thoughts to enter her mind were of Ro: her mouth wide in pleasure, her hands stroking, sliding...they were gone, soothed by a vision of crystal clear waters and white sand. She held on to the image until she could smell the salty air and feel the warm sun upon her skin.

The next thoughts were of Daisy. These were harder to clear. The look of disappointment and almost pain on her face, an awkward embrace. T'Sant knew humans had difficulties separating emotions from sex but she had been diligent with the young woman, keeping their liaisons brief and infrequent. The ocean view took on a glorious sunset; T'Sant gave all her attention to the colors in the sky, the raw beauty of nature. Her feelings were nothing in this majesty, her wants insignificant in the face of such a magnanimous display of bending light. A loud, hard knock startled her from her meditation.

The knock came again, fast and urgent. She grew concerned, pulling a thin shiny robe over her bare chest and shoulders and tying it tightly around her waist. A third time the knock came. T'Sant pushed the panel button. The door slid back to reveal a tired, clearly distressed Ro Laren. Before she had time to speak, the tall woman pushed her way into the small room, the door hissing shut behind her. T'Sant couldn't help the tremor that edged into her voice.

"What are you doing?" Ro took a step towards her, causing T'Sant to retreat. Two more steps. T'Sant felt her shoulders collide roughly with a wall. She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply to ease her fright. Long fingers seized her wrists, pinning her to the wall; she could feel the closeness of the Bajoran, their bodies centimeters apart. T'Sant opened her eyes. Ro stared down at her.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I don't know." Ro's voice was husky thick. T'Sant began to shake, hearing the desire in her words. Ro moved closer, the space between them gone. T'Sant could not stop the low moan that issued from her throat at the contact, heat flooding her small body. Her eyes closed once again, swallowing hard, unsure if she was dreaming or awake. Soft lips pressed against her mouth. She was awake.

T'Sant felt her knees give way, relishing the pain in her wrists where Ro held her against the wall. The kiss deepened as Ro released her wrists to curl her hands around the back of T'Sant's neck, pulling her closer. T'Sant slid her hands around the Bajoran's thin waist, holding her in place, unwilling to relinquish the sensation. Ro ran her thumbs along T'Sant's jaw, her lips parting to allow velvet tongues to meet.

Electricity ran through T'Sant's spine, her hair standing on end. She reached up and pulled the headband from Ro's hair.

Suddenly Ro pulled away, removing her hands from T'Sant's cheek. The hybrid whimpered pitifully, opening her eyes. Ro stood away from her, covering kissed-swollen lips with her hands. T'Sant reached out to her, taking a step towards her. It was Ro's turn to back away. A horrified look crossed Ro's face as if realizing where she was for first time.

"I..I have to go." Ro Laren sprinted from the room. T'Sant stared after her before falling to her knees. A few minutes passed as she tried to reign in her emotions. She got to her feet and ran to the hall; Ro Laren was gone.

**A/N: I woke up three days ago with Rod Stewart in my head...that's where the title comes from. Thank you for taking the time to read my work. I hope this is sexy enough! It's about to get real. Hope you enjoyed it and hope you're looking forward to more.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5: Happenstance

Ro sprinted down the hall, her heart hammering in her chest. Her knee and arm hurt from where she had tripped just outside T'Sant's room but she continued running. It felt good to run, it kept her from thinking. She looked back over her shoulder towards T'Sant's quarters, unsure if the woman would follow, hoping she wouldn't. She had done wrong and she wanted to be alone.

Two parts of her argued over what was wrong: the kiss or running away. She couldn't face T'Sant after that...lapse of judgement. Ro collided with a hard, unmoving object and fell to the ground, briefly dazed. She blinked up at what she had run into.

"Are you alright Ensign Ro" It was Data. He held out a hand to help her up. She did not take it, getting to her feet quickly, embarrassed.

"Yes Data I am fine." He gave her an appraising look.

"Are you certain? You struck me rather hard, you seem to have lost your headband." Ro's face blanched when she remembered where it was. "Now you appear to be paling. Shall I escort you to sick bay?" The android was relentless. She shook her head sharply.

"No I am just tired is all..."

"If you are in need of sleep why are you running in the crew quarters at 03:25?" His query was innocent and devoid of judgement.

"My business is my business." Ro tried to intimidate him into leaving.

"When the bridge is mine, my business is when crew members are behaving irrationally. If you are participating in a fitness regimen, it would be safer for you to use the holodeck."

"I'll keep that in mind. Why aren't you on the bridge?" Ro mumbled, unable to look in the android's unsettling eyes.

"I was called to engineering because Spot was causing problems during a scheduled wiring check. When I arrived, she had gone. I am searching for her." Data looked ponderous. "Perhaps she has returned to your quarters? I would like to escort you, if you would permit me." Ro touched a hand to the ridge that crested between her brows, recalling the time the cat had terrorized her living space.

"Fine..fine. Let's go." Ro began to walk in the direction she had been running when Data stopped her.

"Are you certain you are alright? Your quarters are this way." Data pointed in the opposite direction. Ro wished she could curl into a ball and hide where no one could find her. She did feel sick. She did not want to walk past T'Sant's room a second time. She turned and followed Data down the hall, dragging her heels petulantly. Her heart resumed its hammering as they passed the hybrid's quarters.

She was happy to see the door was closed, the woman nowhere to be seen. She kept her eyes forward, her back rigid. Ro saw Data eyeing her curiously though he did not breach the subject of her well being again. When they reached her hall she relaxed, fighting a yawn. She was thankful she was off duty tomorrow.

The pair paused outside her room. Ro tapped the panel and the door slid back. Spot ran up to her, rubbing against her legs. She would never know how the cat crept into her quarters despite the locked door.

"There. You have your cat." She scooped the animal up and thrust it towards the android. He took her gently, stroking her behind the ears. The cat mewed quietly.

"You seem irritable Ensign are you certain everything is in order?" Ro sighed, exhausted.

"I have had a very trying evening. I would like to be alone for a change."

"Has someone been harassing you?" Data held the cat close to prevent her escape. "I could speak to them if you like."

"No. I do not require your assistance further. Thank you." Ro ducked into her room and shut the door, collapsing upon her mattress and trying to forget the last half hour.

Data turned back in the direction he came with Ro, heading for the turbo lift. Someone had distressed the Bajoran, or perhaps insulted her. He hoped to catch the culprit still out and about. He steered himself into the hallway where he had run into the errant woman, loosening his grip upon the cat.

Spot darted from him, scurrying and pausing in the hall as if leading him forward. The idea of the cat knowing more than it was telling amused him. He chuckled quietly to himself when the cat pawed softly at a door, raking her claws on the surface. She yowled loudly. Data bent to scoop up the cat, shushing her. From inside the room his enhanced senses detected a soft repetitive thumping combined with grunts of frustration and anger. He knocked sharply. The noises stopped and the door flew open.

"If you're here to 'apologize' I don't wan..." Data was assaulted by a terse voice before T'Sant emerged, half dressed in uniform pants and a tight grey undershirt. "Oh...Lt. Commander Data. I am sorry you had to see me like this. Please excuse me."

"Were you expecting someone?" Data watched as the small woman looked down the hall before sighing. It was unusual for him to see her so unrestrained. His curiosity reignited.

"No not really but I had secretly allowed myself to hope she might come back." The android put two and two together, watching as the woman picked the cat up and stroked her gently.

"Ro seemed very distressed after leaving your quarters. Are you the cause of this?" T'Sant flinched visibly, her shoulders curling inward as if to shield her body from attack.

"I am not. She is the source of her own distress." T'Sant's answer was curt and matter of fact, making the android think better of pressing her further. He collected his cat from the woman.

"I do hope this is resolved quickly. I apologize for any inconvenience Spot and I may have caused you." He bid the tired woman farewell, his ever-turning mind working on the mystery he had come upon in the dead of night.

T'Sant sat in her room, a long stick of incense burning in one corner, a small low-flame lamp glowing brightly in the other. A thin haze of smoke floated through her quarters. She breathed deeply, tucking her legs beneath her as she sat to organize her thoughts.  
>Confusion riddled her core; many uncertainties devoured her reason and drove her to distraction. She had acquired a short leave of absence and she would not waste it. Intimate thoughts of Ro no longer taunted her, instead becoming thoughts of violence and rage. She felt cheated, almost betrayed.<p>

Her hands clenched, knuckles white as she indulged in all the things she would like to say to the Bajoran when she next saw her. The indulgence made her feel guilty, an emotion she deemed impermissible at this moment. The feelings were squashed by cliffside forest scenery. It was easiest to lose herself in natural beauty. It was impossible to be selfish in the face of it; indulgence was selfishness and she could not be any more. Slowly the Vulcan tranquility overcame her, quelling her lust and her ire. Her heart hardened nonetheless. She settled deeper into the pose; she would not move until there was nothing left. She had been remiss, arrogant and she had paid for it.

Ro Laren wore a stone face as she geared up for the away mission. The last week had seen her sleepless and rude, her temper flaring at the slightest grievance. For the fifth time that day, her thoughts turned to Data. He had not bothered her since their run in but the android often cast her sidelong glances she did not care for, as if she were a puzzle he was trying to sort.

She considered cornering him, finding out what he knew. The small paranoid part of her insisted the nosy android had it all figured out. A smaller part asked what would be the harm in the knowing?

Despite the rules she imposed on herself, she found herself thinking of T'Sant's soft lips, her small body pressed between her and the wall, the way her eyes crinkled while she read her disgusting books...her laugh even though she had only heard it the once.

A rebel smile fought to show itself; she bit her cheek to still the rush of her blood at the memory. She shook her head. She needed to be focused. Ro rallied her small team to her, hoping to brief them quickly and get moving.

The mission was simple: a small Bajoran mining outpost had sent out a distress signal 36 hours prior. Enterprise had attempted to hail them but met with silence. The transmission had been vague, only mentioning they seemed to be under attack and required assistance. Ro was tasked with leading the away team. She was happy for the chance to leave the ship and exercise her muscles.

The new recruits behind her chattered nervously; this would be their first away mission for the Enterprise. She didn't envy them their jitters, especially given the circumstances. She lined them up as the shuttle pilot began the landing procedure.

The moon's surface was jungle like and foggy, a thick blanket of mist settling on the quiet mining outpost. Ro questioned the miners' choice of location as it seemed to beg for an ambush. The air was thick and cloying, soaking the team in condensation within minutes. Ro pulled her uniform jacket from sharp shoulders and tied it around her waist. The group crept forward. At the sound of conversation, Ro threw her hand up, stopping her team so she could listen.

"Stupid Bajorans, if they'd left last week when we told them to we wouldn't have had to cleanse the place."

Ro peered around a crate, keeping her phaser ready. A pair of Cardassian soldiers stood watch over the entrance to the operations base. A snake of hate flared in her heart; she bared her teeth. Ro turned back to her team.

"There's two of them and five of us, we can recover this outpost." Her body was rigid and itching to fight. A smaller Bajoran male raised his hand, speaking quietly.

"Ensign, with all due respect, this was supposed to be reconnaissance only. We don't know how many are inside..."

"We are here to help these people. Clearly there has been an attack. I decide that we take the offensive." Ro grew indignant, determined her plan should go forward. She was in no mood to be challenged.

"We don't know how many are patrolling...we just landed."

"We will have the element of surprise once we disable the guards out here." Ro had raised her voice in frustration.

"An element you'll find the Bajorans were not mining for." A deep voice startled the group. Ro glanced upwards, while they had been planning she had let her guard down...a squad of Cardassian soldiers surrounded them.

"Surrender your phasers and communicators." The captain nudged Ro with the butt of his phaser. She reluctantly tossed her weapon to the ground, swiping the commbadge from her chest to join it. The captain gave her a sinister smile, dragging the Bajoran male who had spoken out and another Bajoran female to stand beside her.

"Take the others and find out what ship they serve on. Maybe they're worth something to their captain." He slammed the butt of his weapon into Ro's forhead, knocking her unconscious. "Leave the Bajorans to me."

**A/N: I don't remember when exactly the "spot gets in Ro's room" episode was...my roommate suggested the cuteness so I ran with it. New chapter will be up soon. Sorry to anyone who just saw the repost of chapter 4. I fixed it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**Some torture to follow. Nothing explicit! Hope you enjoy it, I promise a payoff in the next chapter!**

Ch 6: Rescue

A splash of frigid water splashed on Ro Laren, shocking her awake. She jerked away from the cold and was rewarded with a searing pain in her wrists. She was restrained, suspended from the ceiling by thick iron manacles that squeezed too tight and cut her when she resisted. Her toes barely touched the ground, giving her no way to relieve the pressure building in her wrists and shoulders. Her calves already burned from trying to keep herself from swinging.

She looked around, trying gain her bearing, shoulders beginning to burn as the chain twisted at her efforts.  
>Ro Laren found herself in a small grey room full of malfunctioning and outdated machinery...some kind of safe-storage room. A space had been cleared in the center to hold her. She was alone except for the Cardassian captain, who stood some feet away, an empty bucket in his hand and a sardonic smirk on his face.<p>

"Good to see I didn't kill you. I hit you quite hard. Your little friends didn't fare so well." Ro flailed against her restraints despite the pain it caused her shoulders. "Lovely to see you still have some fight left in you," the Cardassian's smile spread menacingly. "But that won't last long."

Ro hung her throbbing head, the left side aching severely. She began to shiver, the chill of the water seeping under her uniform and into her muscles. The minute quake disturbed the chain holding her and the pressure on her shoulders increased. He was right. She glared up at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of weakness.

She watched as he filled the bucket again with a hose, sloshing the water over her feet as he lifted the bucket and emptied it upon her head, soaking her further. Ro reared her head back and lobbed a wad of phlegm into his face. The captain wiped his cheek, the smile not leaving his face.

"I'm not telling you anything," she growled. He tsk'd her like a child, retrieving two ends of cable with exposed wiring. He touched the ends together, delighting in the fear that betrayed itself in her face as sparks jumped from the live wires.

"I don't want you to talk." He stepped closer. She tried to twist away but the action only served to swing her closer. He touched the wires to her wet skin, savoring the piercing scream that ripped from her throat. He removed the wires. Ro moaned, her eyes rolling from the pain. The shock came again, fire shooting through her limbs and fingertips. She couldn't help crying out again, the agony crippling the fighter inside.

"I want you to scream for me."

Hours felt like days to Ro Laren. The captain had gone away, leaving her to hang by bloodied wrists from the ceiling. Small burns littered her body, singed through her uniform and blistering the skin beneath. She found she could not move; the electric shocks had turned her muscles to gelatin.

Every time she had succumbed to pain, the Cardassian found a new way to revive her. Two of her fingers jutted at odd angles to her palm, broken and useless; her left kneecap shattered and swelling painfully. Over and over again she had asked him why. The answer was always the same.

'Because I can.'

The door to the storeroom hissed open and she whimpered involuntarily, shame blooming in her chest making it hard for her to breathe. Her left eye was swollen nearly shut from the blow she had received earlier.

A tall dark figure entered the room, made a silhouette by a blazing light behind whoever it was. Noise erupted around her but she could not comprehend what was being said. Her head felt heavy and full of tar. She could feel the blackness creeping upon her.

Ro fought the encroaching unconsciousness, willing to stand through the electric shock than suffer another broken bone. The chain twisted as her toes lost their grip upon the wet floor, her body going slack. Thin rivulets of red began to creep from her wrists. She cried out, unable to hold her facade a moment longer, her body wracked with painful sobs.

"Please...just kill me." The sound of phaser fire arced towards her. The pressure in her shoulders relaxed as she fell to the floor, the chain rattling to the concrete floor. She let loose a scream of pain as her knee collided with the concrete. Strong arms cradled her,taking care not to jostle her wounds further. A rumbling basso touched her ear where it was pressed flat against the man's chest. She could not understand him, all his words jumbled. Ro looked up at her rescuer: a strong aquiline nose, piercing eyes and closely cropped white hair circling his head. She closed her eyes, a smile touching her face.

"Picard..." The darkness claimed her.

~~~

T'Sant looked down at the battered body of Ro Laren, the Bajoran's chest rising gently with sedated, peaceful breathing. It had been a full day since Picard, Riker, and Warf had rescued the away team from the Cardassian privateers. Dr. Crusher wanted her sedated until her knee could be reset and her muscles stimulated.

Despite her exercises and the intense dislike that had welled since their last encounter, T'Sant permitted the fondness that crept upon her like a blanket. She brushed an errant strand of dark hair out of the woman's face, tucking it behind her ear.

It was easier than she wanted to admit, falling into her attraction to the obstinate woman. Even with her injuries, she was beautiful. T'Sant let her hand linger on the woman's cheek, admiring not only her physical strength but also her mental fortitude. She had read the report...it bothered her to imagine what had actually been done to the Bajoran. Electrocution- amplified by water conduction, two broken fingers, a shattered kneecap and multiple fractures in the ribs and skull. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if the rescue team had been even an hour later.  
>T'Sant found her fingers had returned to the woman's thick brown hair, marveling at the softness of it. She noticed the earring that had graced Ro's left earlobe was missing, the flesh angry and red.<p>

She ran a slender fingertip along the edge of her ear, noticing the subtle twitch of the Bajoran's ridged nose. She removed her hand and looked around before pressing her lips to Ro's gently. A smile touched her eyes as she pulled away. She wanted her...even if Ro couldn't or wouldn't want her in return. She left a lingering kiss on the Bajoran's forehead, administering a new round of sedatives.

"What are you doing?" T'Sant turned, taken completely by surprise. Her hand flew to her chest, her cheeks flaming crimson. Lt. Commander Data stood in front of her, the sick bay doors sliding shut behind him. He gazed at her curiously, as if he had acquired the next piece to a difficult puzzle but wasn't certain where it fit. She blushed harder, her ears turning red.

"I was administering a sedative to Ro Laren." T'Sant reigned in the tremble in her voice. She could tell she wasn't fooling him.

"You were kissing her." His tone was matter of fact and dry. T'Sant felt the moisture leave her mouth. She swallowed hard. She had been caught.

"I...I am embarrassed. I have a great deal of affection for Ro Laren. I behaved inappropriately. I understand if you must write a formal report, Commander." She lowered her head in shame.

"Does this have something to do with the events that occurred between you eight days ago?" She was not surprised by his bluntness, though she was uncertain how to answer.

"I don't know how she feels...but I wanted to express my infatuation secretly. I would prefer she not know about this." Data cocked his head, perplexed.

"How can you pursue a relationship if you are covertly expressing your feelings? It is not practical." T'Sant blushed harder.

"I do not wish to frighten her. It is complicated."

"Is it complicated because you are both female?"

"I do not know. Please do not tell her. I would most appreciate it."

"I cannot keep a secret. If Ensign Ro should ask me about this incident, I must tell her the truth." T'Sant's face fell briefly. "However if she does not, I see no reason to volunteer the information. I came to check on her status."

"She is stable though her injuries were quite extensive. She will live. Dr Crusher will perform many of the corrective procedures later today, until then she must remain sedated to prevent further injury."

"Perhaps you should present her with a gift." The statement caught her off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"To proclaim your affection." T'Sant was a little surprised by the android's interest in her love life.

"I will consider it. Thank you." She inclined her head respectfully. The android returned the gesture and left sickbay. T'Sant looked back at the sleeping form of Ro, the color touching her ears once more before she returned to her duties.

~~~~~

A small pinch in the side of her neck roused Ro Laren from her drug induced slumber. She blinked her eyes open, the harsh light of the sickbay pricking her pupils painfully. Above her Dr. Beverly Crusher loomed, a half smile on her thin lips.

"Glad to see you've come around. I thought I'd never get your knee back together." The redhead helped her to sit up, placing a reassuring hand upon her back. Ro groaned quietly, her head swimming. "Try to move slowly, your muscles haven't fully recovered and you will be very weak for a few days, a week at most." The kindly doctor handed her a glass of water, instructing her to drink. The water was cold and refreshed her parched throat.

"I don't remember much of what happened." She looked down at her hands, her broken fingers reset but still swollen. Her chest felt tight and her left knee looked as though someone had filled it with air.

"It would be better if I spared you the details. You are lucky to be alive." Dr Crusher retrieved a PADD from her desk, tapping it lightly with a long finger. "Since moving will be difficult for you, I am assigning you an assistant to keep your treatment regimen on schedule and assist with your physical therapy."

"Who?" Ro sipped again from the water glass, her voice rasping slightly.

"At the moment I can only spare Ensign T'Sant and Ensign Paro. It is up to you who..."

"T'Sant." The doctor raised an eyebrow at the rapidness of her answer. Ro cleared her throat, wincing at the burn. "I would prefer T'Sant...Paro is male." Dr. Crusher nodded and used her PADD to alter the officer's schedule to reflect the change in duties.

"I will have her assist you to your quarters whenever you feel ready to stand." The doctor gave her a genial smile squeezing her shoulder gently. Ro nodded before laying back down on the biobed, dizziness swarming her head.

Ro Laren stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts on T'Sant. The guilt that wracked her before was still present, but overpowered by a sense of need she could not quite place. It was easier to think about the woman than her failure on the moon. That would come later.

She wanted to apologize for what she had done, but could not think how to approach the subject. She hoped that spending time with her would present her an opportunity to explain herself.

A frown touched her mouth as it occurred to her she had no explanation to give. She lay for a few more minutes before asking to be taken to her room. She wanted to sleep in her own bed. Beverly helped her to sit up before sending T'Sant over to take her home.

Ro looked at the woman trying to meet her eyes. T'Sant would not look directly at her, looking past her at the wall behind instead. A small pang tweaked her chest but she ignored it. She swallowed hard when the smaller woman slipped an arm gingerly around her ribs and helped her to stand. Ro had to lean nearly all her weight on T'Sant's shoulder, her legs unwilling to support her as they made slow, silent progress through the halls. It was not until they reached her quarters and Ro was settled onto her mattress that T'Sant spoke.

"If you have need of me I will be in my quarters. All you must do is call me." She turned to leave.

"Will you not stay? I wanted...I hoped we could talk." Ro twisted her fingers together. T'Sant looked back over her shoulder, meeting her eyes. Ro was pained by the subtle droop she saw in the hybrid's eyes.

"I am not ready to talk. However I will stay if you prefer." Ro nodded, looking down at her bed. T'Sant stepped over to her, lowering her gently to the pillows. "You must sleep. I will be in the other room." She drew the blanket over Ro's chest and left the woman to her guilty conscience. Ro lay in her cold sheets and waited for sleep to claim her. 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope you like it! **

Ch 7: Bedside Manners

T'Sant sat upon the couch in Ro Laren's quarters, wishing she had brought something to read. The room was sparsely decorated: plain, simple furniture and few personal items. Compared to her own quarters it was almost lifeless, as if its occupant did nothing more than sleep here. T'Sant draped one slender arm over the end of the couch, yawning quietly. It wasn't late but she was tired all the same. Her eyelids fluttered closed as silence crept into the room.

A fearful wail roused T'Sant from her light slumber. She looked around, confused before she remembered she was not in her own quarters. A pitiful mewling came from the next room. T'Sant got to her feet and made her way quickly to the origin of the noise. The sight that greeted her set a wrench in her chest, making her pause in the doorway.

Ro Laren was sitting upright, her knees curled up to her chest, strong limbs shaking visibly even from a distance. At first she didn't look up, keeping her eyes shut tight against the pain shooting through her body. T'Sant took a step forward and Ro looked up.

The hybrid was pinned by the stare she was given: a peculiar mixture of horror and need, pain and pleasure. She waited for permission to approach. The Bajoran was stubborn and remained curled up, her face beginning to blotch in pale pink blooms, her jaw clenched tightly against the pain that spread under her skin.

"What is wrong?" Concern overtook T'Sant's voice as she made her way over to the injured woman. Ro attempted to wave her off but gave in quickly to the woman's exploratory touch, her fingers brushing damp hair from her sweat-beaded brow.

"I was dreaming...nothing to worry about." Ro's voice was sullen and embarrassed. T'Sant sat behind her, running her hands over Ro's shoulders to ease the muscle which had stiffened painfully in response to her abrupt movement on waking. A nearly inaudible moan escaped Ro's lips as the tension began to abate.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. Ro winced as T'Sant applied more pressure, then sighed as the muscle relaxed.

"For what?" The words were emotionless. Ro could feel the woman's breath upon her neck, sending a chill down her spine. She clasped her hands in front of her to keep from reaching for T'Sant's.

"You know what..." Ro's voice was barely a whisper. T'Sant removed her hands and came to sit in front of the injured Bajoran, taking one of Ro's hands in her own.

"Listen..." Ro cut her off abruptly, her eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry," her eyes flicked upwards to meet T'Sant's. The hybrid gasped involuntarily, the tips of her ears pink. "That I ran away." T'Sant remained quiet, unsure what to think. Ro continued, unable to stop now that she had begun.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you and that girl. I just...I had to know what it was like." Ro blushed hard, glancing away shyly.

"And?"

"Now I do..." Ro knew the words were wrong, watching the minute trickle of emotions play across T'Sant's face before she spoke.

"Oh." The word was soft but succinct, a hint of disappointment hidden amongst the single syllable.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again...not without seeing him." Ro's words were low and breathy; T'Sant had to strain to hear her. She placed a hand on Ro's arm, giving her a soft squeeze.

"I will stay in this room if you wish." Ro hesitated before nodding. A sudden memory quirked a smile onto her face. T'Sant gave her an inquiring look. Ro curled her knees to her chest once more, wrapping slender arms around and pulling them close.

"I never really had a bed when I was little. The camps didn't always have them. I used to be scared of monsters underneath so when I did have one I had so much trouble falling asleep. My father used to play music for me."

"What kind of music?" T'Sant couldn't help but smile at the thought of Ro Laren being frightened of monsters under her bed. The Bajoran offered her a genuine smile, her eyes glossing as she tried to remember the tune, humming softly to herself.

"I don't remember the name of the song but he played the belaklavion for me." Ro's smile deepened and T'Sant found herself enchanted by it. The expression was rare to the Bajoran's face and the corners of her mouth creased delicately. She resisted the urge to put her lips there. A chuckle resounded from Ro's chest. "It seems so silly now, he used to tell me the klavion had power in its tones and the monsters were afraid of it. As long as he played, I felt safe and I could sleep."

"That is a kind thing for a parent to do." T'Sant frowned remembering her mother's strict ideals on the meditation for fear. Ro yawned, managing to lift her arms, stretching weakly. T'Sant stood and helped Ro to lay back upon the mattress. The woman looked up at her, curling long fingers around T'Sant's wrist to keep her from moving away. The hybrid swallowed as their eyes met, a pair of mirrors. T'Sant blinked and pulled away, taking a seat in a chair situated across the room.

"Sleep. I will be here if you wake again." She crossed her legs in the chair, resting her palms upon her knees. Ro closed her eyes and within moments, she fell asleep.

-All she could hear was laughter, high and cold echoing all around her in the dark. Great red and blue sparks snapped and hissed into life around her. A cold wetness flooded around her ankles as the sparks came closer still, the laughter ringing in her ears. Her chest began to burn, a scream ripping from her throat as her body was devoured by electric fire.-

Ro threw herself forward, muscles screeching in protest as she sat up too quickly, her throat raw and scratchy from the terrified roar let loose from her lungs. Her fingers clawed at the blanket covering her thin body, drawing up to her chin, eyes wide and glassy.

A delicate lilting tune reached her ears, complicated phrases and dancing melodies playing around the room. The music soothed her immediately though she did not recognize the tune. Ro looked around the room. At the edge of her bed a small holoprojector rested, the image of a Bajoran musician playing the belaklavion. Just beyond the hologram she saw T'Sant, still sitting where she had left her, legs crossed and hands on her knees.

Ro watched as the woman breathed, her chest rising and falling evenly in time with the music. She took the opportunity to take in the small form in front of her: winged brows jutting just so slightly over eyes she knew to be the darkest brown she had ever seen. Ro traced the line of her olive skinned neck to where it met the tight high collar around her throat, one golden pip affixed to the rim. She realized the woman was still in her uniform. Her eyes opened slowly and Ro blushed at being caught, but she did not look away.

"I heard you scream. Are you alright?" T'Sant did not get up. Ro nodded trying to relax her muscles once more.

"You found this?" She pointed at the hologram, a warmth spreading from her chest into her stomach and thighs. T'Sant nodded, returning to massage the Bajoran's angular shoulders. Ro stopped her, turning around to face her.

"Thank you." She gave the woman a meaningful look. She was truly touched by T'Sant's obvious concern; no one had ever done anything like this for her. Her heart swelled with a feeling she dared no longer ignore, lest it be taken from her again. Ro grew intoxicated by her closeness, her pupils flared with desire. She closed her hands around T'Sant's, pressing hard.

"Ro...you need to sleep. You won't heal if you don't..." Ro silenced her, placing a long finger on her lips.

"Please..." Ro could not keep the whine from her voice. She leaned forward, meeting resistance from T'Sant's palm upon her collarbone.

"Why did you kiss me?" T'Sant's eyes were serious, her brow severe. There was less than a hand's space between them now.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you and her..." Ro did not mask the jealousy in her voice. "I wanted...I had to know what I was missing. I wanted you for myself."

"Why did you run?

"Because I was ashamed. I had put you in a compromising position and I disrespected your relationship with Daisy. I tempted your fidelity and I could not bear it."

"No infidelity was committed. I had terminated my involvement with Daisy earlier that evening." She gave the Bajoran a meaningful look.

"What do you mean? Why?" Ro delighted in the blush that spread across T'Sant's nose and cheeks, her lips slightly parted. Slowly she inched closer, her eyes on the smaller woman's neck and jaw. T'Sant swallowed hard, the sound audible between them.

"I find you significant." Ro could feel T'Sant's breath upon her lips, sweet and soft.

"What?" She wanted her to say it again.

"I find you significant Ro Laren." T'Sant's words were strong and clear the second time. Ro fell forward, the resistance at her chest failing. She pressed her lips to T'Sant's.

Fire bloomed from the point of contact, spreading through her limbs to the juncture between her legs. T'Sant closed her eyes, her lips parting to accept the curious tongue that probed her.

Ro pulled her close, touching the soft skin just behind her ears with trembling fingertips. T'Sant moaned loudly, her hands snaking into Ro's hair and crushing thin lips against her jaw. The kiss intensified as their mouths explored each other: lips, tongue, neck and ears.

T'Sant let her hands wander from Ro's hair to her cheeks, nails scratching lightly at her skin. She hesitated to move her palms lower than the clavicle. Ro seized her by the wrists, breaking away from the kiss. A familiar terror washed over T'Sant before Ro placed her palms against the swell of her small breasts, her voice smoky and thick with desire.

"T'Sant please...I want you to touch me." The hybrid nodded, more out of habit than actual answer. She grazed her thumb across the nipple rasping at the barrier of cloth between their skin.

Ro arched her back, wincing at the small pains, ignoring them for the greater pleasure as T'Sant worked her fingers beneath her shirt, soft hands curling around her ribcage to rake nails gently down her spine. Ro captured a small moan from the hybrid, her fingers working the clasp at T'Sant's neck. The uniform shirt fell away.

Ro leaned back to drink in the form before her. T'Sant was lean and surprisingly well muscled, her long neck leading towards a prominent clavicle. Ro seized the gray undershirt and pulled it free of T'Sant's ungainly, nervous arms. The smaller woman crossed her arms over her chest, looking away sheepishly.

Ro kissed her again, slipping her hands beneath T'Sant's arms to cup the swell of flesh she tried to hide. She sucked T'Sant's bottom lip into her mouth, biting her softly. She whispered against trembling lips.

"Let me see you."

"I have never done this in the light before..." T'Sant's shivered at Ro's touch, eyelashes fluttering against her cheek. Ro laughed, leaning back to remove her own shirt.

"I've never done this at all." T'Sant let her eyes take in the pale woman before her. Ro was thin and long, her torso stretched towards her while angular hips and elegant legs remained hidden by blanket. T'Sant let her arms fall, reaching to seize Ro's nipples and twisting gently. She was rewarded with a tightly controlled hiss of pleasure.

Nervousness left T'Sant; she leaned forward capturing Ro's breast in her mouth, flicking her tongue lightly over the stiff nipple. Ro pushed her fingers into T'Sant's hair, holding her in place.

T'Sant lowered them to the mattress, her mouth still affixed to the Bajoran's heaving chest, positioning herself above Ro, gently nudging a thigh between her legs. T'Sant exhaled sharply at the wetness she found there despite the sheer undergarments between their skin.

T'Sant let her lips wander, leaving a trail of kisses down the woman's stomach. She lingered at her hips, sucking gently where the leg met her waist. Ro bucked beneath her, bringing her body closer to T'Sant's eager tongue. The hybrid slipped her fingers beneath the elastic band, pulling them free and tossing them aside.

Ro cried out, clutching at T'Sant's shoulders as she slipped two slender fingers inside of her. She lifted her hips to take in more of her, hissing when the knuckles of her lover's hand touched the hot mound of her flesh, her thumb circling her clit softly.

"How do you like it?" T'Sant's voice was low and gravely. She kissed the tufty wisps of dark hair at the peak of her sex, her eyes locked on Ro's. Ro crumpled under her fierce gaze, her body tensing. T'Sant did not move, waiting for an answer. Ro blushed lightly, paralyzed by her eyes.

T'Sant took up an agonizingly slow rhythm, the tips of her fingers curling gently. Ro bit into the flesh of her fingertip as T'Sant's tongue caressed her, stifling the strangled cry of pleasure rising in her throat. She seized a handful of T'Sant's jet black hair, nails clawing at her scalp. She held her in place, rolling her hips to match T'Sant's movements. A guttural moan passed her clenched teeth.

T'Sant increased the pace, thrusting deeper. She sucked hard on the Bajoran's sex. She tasted better than she could have ever imagined. Ro arched hard beneath her, muscles clenching around T'Sant's fingers. Her body shook from the force of the orgasm ripping through her like wildfire.

The pair collapsed upon the bed, energy spent and panting. The belaklavion still played in the background as T'Sant curled her arms around the trembling woman, pulling her close and nuzzling the line of her jaw. The dulcet tones of the music lulled them into sleep, bodies tightly entwined and the lights flicked out.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Sorry about the lateness of this chapter, I've been dealing with some internet issues. I am returns though and should be posting on the regular again. I thought T'Sant deserved a little somethin somethin for this chapter. I hope you like it!**

Chapter 8: Reciprocate

Ro smiled faintly, her eyelids fluttering open to greet her dimly lit quarters. Her body ached and she longed to stretch out, pink tongue curling in a wide mouth yawn. She registered a light weight pressing upon her chest. Ro smiled, slipped her hand over T'Sant's.

It had been a long time since she'd had sex, longer still since she had enjoyed it so much. She could still feel her pulse between her legs. T'Sant mumbled in her sleep, pulling herself closer to Ro.

Ro tightened her fingers around T'Sant's hand, her thoughts turning to what had been done to her. She lifted her other hand to study her fingers, graced by an image of T'Sant's head thrown back, her elegant neck bared for her teeth to sink into. A need came over her as she looked down at the sleeping woman. Ro ran her fingers down T'Sant's spine, delighting in the feel of her bare flesh.

Ro let her hand wander lower, edging slowly into the waistband of the uniform pants T'Sant had fallen asleep in. She exhaled sharply as her hand met the hard muscle of her buttock, still marvelling at how soft her skin was. T'Sant moaned quietly in her sleep, setting a fire blazing in Ro's stomach. She had never made anyone whimper and whine like that before.

Her hand moved without thought, caressing the soft mound of flesh. With every stroke the fire grew and her daydreams became more refined: T'Sant raking her nails down her back, T'Sant tightening around her fingers, T'Sant calling out her name when she came. It was too much.

Ro gently turned T'Sant onto her back, her eyes drinking in her small but pert chest. She was surprised by her attraction, she had never been interested in women before. There was something magnetic about the hybrid. No man had ever made her feel the way she felt now: predatory and almost hungry.

Ro kissed the expanse of skin between T'Sant's breasts, her lips leaving a damp spot. She smiled when the woman blinked her eyes open, confusion on her face. She blushed when she saw Ro looking up at her.

"I thought I was dreaming again," T'Sant mumbled sleepily. Ro kissed her chest again, running her thumbs over tan nipples stiffening at her attentions. T'Sant seized her hands, stopping her.

"What's wrong?" Ro did not move, her mouth still inches from her new lover's hot skin.

"I just..." The hybrid looked away, embarrassed. Ro pulled her hands free and took T'Sant by the wrists, pinning them above her head. She looked down at her face, flushed with desire. She leaned down and kissed her jaw, biting her earlobe softly.

"What?" Her voice was a purr. Ro let her mouth wander over T'Sant's neck.

"I have not been...touched in a while." Ro pulled up to look at her, surprised.

"But I thought...what about Daisy?" It seemed strange to talk about her ex-lover with T'Sant's body stretched so beautifully beneath her.

"She did not like to reciprocate my attentions. I did not care because I derive pleasure from giving..." T'Sant faltered as Ro kissed her hard, crushing her lips against her and leaving her breathless. She squirmed against the hands that pinned her but they did not budge.

Ro dipped her hand into the waistband of T'Sant's uniform, trembling fingers finding their place at the apex of her cleft. Ro paused, her breath coming faster now. She fixed her eyes on T'Sant's, silently asking for permission. T'Sant swallowed hard.

"T'Sant, I want this." Ro slid her finger against the bundle of nerves. T'Sant cried out, arching against her. "I want you." Ro kissed her gently, pushing her tongue between T'Sant's lips to caress her. She took up a slow stroking rhythm, pressing her hips against her hand to intensify the pressure. T'Sant moaned into her mouth, beginning to shake. Ro was pleased to see it did not matter that she had never been with another woman. T'Sant was like wax beneath her hands: slowly softening as the heat between them grew.

Ro grew bold, allowing her strokes to reach farther, teasing the slick entrance with her fingertips. Her lips left T'Sant's mouth to clamp down upon a stiff nipple, her teeth grazing the sensitive peak.

"Please," T'Sant whined, jerking her hips to increase the speed. The sound of her begging inflamed Ro's desire for her. "Please put your fingers inside of me."

Ro teased her a moment longer, drinking in her pathetic mewling as if it would sustain her beyond food, water or air. She plunged into her lover, the sound of her screaming nearly bringing her to the edge. Ro returned her lips to T'Sant's.

Ro increased her pace, pulling her fingers nearly out before pushing back into T'Sant's wet entrance, soaking her hand. She felt the woman begin to shake harder.

"Am I going to make you come T'Sant?" Ro hissed in her ear, biting the sensitive tip. T'Sant arched hard beneath her, gasping for breath, her hands clenching the bedsheets tight.

"Yes."

Ro smiled, moving her hand in an alternating slow/fast rhythm unable to get enough of the woman writhing beneath her. She too was approaching her peak. She just needed one thing.

"Say my name." Ro fixed her eyes upon T'Sant's; she wanted to see her face. The woman blushed crimson, unwilling at first. Ro drove harder into her, pushing her towards oblivion. "Who makes you feel like this?"

"Ro..." T'Sant's voice was quiet, choked by throaty moans of pleasure. Ro shook her head leaning closer to whisper in her ear once more.

"Not that one." T'Sant's eyes widened as she climaxed, her sight going dark as she cried out over and over again:

"Laren!"

Ro threw her head back, giving her own roar of satisfaction to match T'Sant's. Her hand slowed and slowly withdrew as she rested her head upon T'Sant's heaving chest. She sighed as T'Sant looped her arms around her, holding Ro close.

Neither said anything as they lay entwined together, enough had been said by their lust now sated and retreating. Ro mused on how happy she felt, how powerful and proud she was. Though the act was base, instinctual Ro felt like she had been given a gift. She held tighter to her lover, who squirmed out of her pants and fitted her body closer.

Ro sighed happily again as the tendrils of sleep probed the corners of her mind. A smile tweaked her lips as she remembered she had 6 more days of sick leave; 6 more days with T'Sant, alone.

T'Sant sat upon the edge of Ro Laren's bed, her fingers trailing the creases of the rumpled sheets while she waited for the Bajoran to dress. She watched through lowered lids, admiring the length of Ro's body as she pulled on plain black slacks and a white shirt. Ro's lips tweaked in a smile when she caught her looking. T'Sant blushed and looked away.

"How many times have I missed you looking at me like that?" Ro crossed over to her, placing a gentle kiss upon T'Sant's pronounced brow. T'Sant shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep the creeping melancholy that pressed at her insides in check.

"I could not tell you. I tried to keep my passion for you a secret. It was easy considering I am always in med bay and you are a bridge officer." Ro frowned at her, disliking the sudden change.

"Have I done something to upset you?" Her tone was haughty, masking the hurt threatening to ruin her composure. She crossed her arms over her chest. T'Sant's face creased gently before she hung her head, mumbling. Ro nearly slapped her. "Stop mumbling I can't hear you."

"I do not wish for this liaison to end. At the end of your therapy, you'll go back to the bridge...and I will go back to sick bay." T'Sant felt silly, unable to think beyond how it would hurt her to lose Ro Laren.

Ro was an officer, a relationship would be frowned upon especially with a fellow crew member. Especially her. They were both too different to go unnoticed.

Besides Ro would think better of it, this was a product of her near death experience. She shouldn't have indulged her. The memories would distract her and she would be let go if she could not find another "outlet" for her intense desires. T'Sant did not want a different outlet. She only wanted Ro Laren. She waited expecting a berating that never came.

Ro sat beside her, taking her hand gently and giving her a light squeeze. She pressed a finger to the sharp point of T'Sant's chin, pulling her eyes from the floor to look at her.

"I admit I haven't given much thought about what might happen after this..." She pressed her lips to T'Sant's soft mouth, licking her upper lip gently when she gasped in surprise. "But I can assure you, whatever we are doing I do not want to stop."

T'Sant could not help the smile fluttering across her face at her words, embarrassed by her transparency. Ro released her and stood to pull a deep red sweater over her head.

"You look good in red." Ro flashed her a cheeky grin before taking her by the hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, the holodeck won't be free forever."


End file.
